Café Assistant
Trees For Life
Various
Full-time
Listed today
Role Profile Job title Café Assistant Reporting to Operations Manager Has reporting n/a Starting salary £12.61 per hour Job type Location Various Dundreggan Rewilding Centre Glenmoriston Inverness IV63 7YJ Dundreggan and the Rewilding Centre Dundreggan is our 10,000-acre estate in Glenmoriston between Loch Ness and Skye. Since 2008, the estate has been transformed by Trees for Life and its volunteers into one of the best examples of forest restoration in Scotland. It includes a ground-breaking tree nursery and is where many volunteers come to take part in rewilding projects. The Rewilding Centre opened in April 2023 and serves as a gateway to make Dundreggan, and the work being done here, making rewilding more accessible to a broader audience. It operates under the Enterprises arm of Trees for Life and is a commercial business. The site includes an innovative visitor centre, a café, 40-bed accommodation, events and educational facilities. The Rewilding Centre welcomes visitors of all ages, interests and backgrounds to explore the natural, Gaelic and cultural heritage of the Highlands and be inspired by rewilding initiatives, including the restoration of the Caledonian forest. Trees for Life Trees for Life stands at the forefront of rewilding in the Scottish Highlands. Hopeful and bold, we are committed to creating nature-rich landscapes that include and support people. Working on a grand scale, we aim to close the gap between people and nature. Focusing on Scotland’s spectacular Caledonian forest, we foster biodiversity and encourage natural processes essential to life. From the iconic red squirrel to the elusive lynx, we are working to bring more life back to our landscapes. Rewilding is a shared journey. Together with communities, we are restoring Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage while supporting local livelihoods. Join us on this path of hope and positive action. Rewild the Scottish Highlands. Cafe Assistant Feb 2025 Join the Trees for Life team! Join our friendly, values-driven team, taking practical steps to rewild the Scottish Highlands. We offer competitive pay and benefits, flexibility, great working culture, and much more. We welcome applicants from all walks of life, with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences. If you require any adjustments during our recruitment process, that would enable you to do as well as possible in the process, please let us know. Don’t meet every single requirement? That’s okay. We’re committed to building an inclusive team, and we know that skills and experience come in many forms. The right mindset, attitude, and potential to grow are just as important to us as ticking every box. If you’re excited about this role, meet the core criteria and feel you can make a meaningful contribution – please apply. Our values Our values are at the heart of our mission to rewild the Scottish Highlands, guiding us in everything from the daily rhythms of office life to the development of our landscape-scale initiatives. We are Bold We are an ambitious charity with a critical purpose. For us, being bold means thinking about landscape restoration on a grand scale, embracing innovative rewilding methods and challenging the status quo. This approach ensures that every step we take is a bold stride toward a revitalised, thriving natural landscape. We are Collaborative Our approach, deeply rooted in community and collaboration, involves working closely with local communities, conservation groups, landowners, and volunteers. Finding common ground and working together we will initiate positive solutions to the twin climate and biodiversity crises. We are Pragmatic We embrace pragmatic and sustainable solutions in everything we do. We are always mindful of our duty to our supporters, our volunteers, our staff and above all to Scotland’s wild forest. By adopting practical solutions, we safeguard our efforts and ensure a resilient future for our initiatives. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH. Overall purpose of the job The Dundreggan Rewilding Centre will welcome an estimated 60,000 visitors each year by 2027, including a mix of day visitors, corporate groups, education groups, special interest groups and overnight guests staying at the on-site accommodation. The Café Assistant will support the day-to-day running of the café. As part of a small team of catering staff working in the café and kitchen responsible for preparing and serving all meals to customers visiting the Rewilding Centre or staying at the An Spiris accommodation on site. Key liaisons The role will be managed by the Rewilding Centre Operations Manager. During shifts the team will be led by the Café Team Leader, who will support the smooth delivery of service, ensuring that food safety standards are adhered to. Key responsibilities ● Welcoming customers and taking customer orders and processing payment. ● Informing patrons about menu items, specials, events and products and programs. ● Assisting with the preparation and serving of all meals and beverages to customers. ● Supporting in the kitchen with food preparation, including, peeling, chopping, defrosting items, dishing up food. ● Operating coffee machines and other equipment behind the café counter. ● Liaising with the Café Lead and Kitchen Lead to make sure there is an adequate choice of menu items throughout the day. ● Familiarising what’s on the menu and what it contains and how each dish should be presented to ensure consistence and quality. ● Making sure allergy and dietary information is clearly displayed for all food/drink. ● Ensuring that the service areas are clean and tidy at all times and food hygiene/health and safety regulations are followed. ● Ensure cleaning duties are completed, adhering to the café and kitchen daily/weekly and monthly cleaning schedule. This includes deep cleans, washing dishes, sweeping and mopping floors, emptying bins. ● Maintaining outstanding levels of customer service, processing sales quickly, accurately and efficient use of till operations. ● Assist with the cleaning of all tables, chairs, crockery, cutlery and service utensils within the Centre. ● Contribute towards the delivery of events around the Centre including the set-up, service and clear down as required. ● Support with the delivery of evening meals serving hot plate meals in the café. Person specification The successful candidate for the role will be able to demonstrate: ● Hardworking with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail which is constant. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH. ● Ability to organise and prioritise tasks, able to work well under pressure. ● Versatile in their approach to problem solving. ● Friendly, honest and approachable in their outlook with excellent customer service skills ● Able to accurately process customer orders through the till system with a good standard of numeracy. ● Flexible, able to adhere to various working patterns as needed. ● Excellent in communication skills to enable effective dialogue with visitors and colleagues. ● Able to display a smart and professional appearance, representing the Rewilding Centre in a positive manner, encouraging return visitors. ● Enthusiastic, with an eagerness to learn new skills and a commitment to personal continuous development Knowledge and experience Essential: ● IT literate or have experience of EPOS systems. ● Willing to work towards RSPH Level 1 or 2 in Food Safety and Hygiene ● Strong maths and English skills. ● Experience in a catering/hospitality environment. Desirable: ● Relevant experience in the tourism, hospitality and catering sector, with experience in a café setting. ● Level 1 or 2 Award in Food Safety and Hygiene - gained within the last 3 years. ● Experience of Health & Safety systems such as Risk Assessment and COSHH. ● Basic literacy and numeracy skills. Personal attributes ● Proactive and self-motivated approach to getting work done. ● Comfortable with a degree of autonomy in their role. ● Problem solver with a pragmatic approach who maintains a positive attitude. ● Reliable, punctual and flexible. ● Adaptability to change and willingness to embrace new ideas and processes. ● A reasonable level of physical fitness is required. ● Clean and well-groomed, meeting food and hygiene standards. ● Committed to the ethos and values of Trees for Life Skills and competencies ● Excellent communication skills, to support clear direction and good teamwork during peak season pressure. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH. ● Basic cooking and food preparation skills that can be developed as the menu develops. ● Strong knowledge of food safety and hygiene practices. ● Work at speed in a fast-paced environment. ● Able to multi-task between different stations behind the front-counter. ● An eye for detail and consistency. Working conditions and special demands ● The role will require rota working, including mornings, evenings, weekends and bank holidays. ● Work will be indoor in a cafe environment, comfortable working in warmer conditions during summer months. ● Ability to stand for long hours, with the ability to lift kitchen supplies. ● Due to the location of the Rewilding Centre, a full and valid driving licence is essential. ● Due to the nature and seasonality of the business, most annual leave may need to be taken in the quieter times during the year. ● Attend training for skills not already acquired. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH.